WhatsApp call feature is out

The much awaited call feature of WhatsApp is out now and available to all Android users.  After installing the update and opening WhatsApp, you see a new tab for Calls next to the Chats and Contacts tab. Tap on the Calls tab and select the name of the person that you want to call. 
I made some quick phone call in successions to some of my friends and family and found the voice quality at par with similar services like Skype. Currently its available only to Android users. IPhone and Windows phone users would need to wait for some time. 

Windows Server 2003 End of Support

Starting July 14, 2015, Microsoft will end all support and updates for Windows Server 2003. Microsoft hosting an exclusive series of webinars to help you with a smooth transition from Windows Server 2003.

Presenter(s):	Manpreet Madaan and Vishal Mitbawkar.
Language(s):	English.
Product(s):	Microsoft server product portfolio.
Audience(s):	IT Decision Maker, IT Manager, Tech Influencing BDM and Tech Support - Partners.

Webinar Details:

Date: April 02, 2015   Time: 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Register here.

Microsoft IOT DevCamp in Pune & Hyderabad

Microsoft DevCamps are no-fluff events for developers, by developers. You learn from experts in an interactive way and then get to apply what you’ve learned.

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Our upcoming IoT DevCamp will show how to use Microsoft's Azure services (specifically Event Hub, Streaming Analytics, and Web Sites) in the context of a full end-to-end IoT solution. The lab currently includes a sensor/gateway approach with low-cost Arduino devices as the sensor end-point, and Raspberry Pi as the gateway. A dummy Windows console gateway is provided for those who wish to focus solely on the Azure solution.

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Participants are also encouraged to bring their own devices to hack, and learn to connect to Azure. At the end of the session, you will have a good end-to-end understanding of a typical IoT solution.

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Topics that will be covered:

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IoT overview, architecture, Microsoft platform Event Hubs  Azure NRT Devices (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.)

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Instruction, demos, equipment and hands on labs will be provided in class.

When & Where

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. City: . Pune . Date: . 29th April 2015 . Timings: . 9:00 am - 6:00 pm . Venue: . The O Hotel, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune 411001 . . City: . Hyderabad . Date: . 24th April 2015 . Timings: . 9:00 am - 6:00 pm . Venue: . Radisson Hyderabad Hitec City, Gachibowli, Miyapur Road, Hyderabad 500032 .

. Pre-requisites for pre-event online briefing: . You should be IoT Start-ups or IoT enthusiasts having a working knowledge of Embedded/IoT/System on Chips devices. . Details about the pre-event online briefing will be sent by email a few days after you register. Attendance is required. . . Pre-Requisites for the Event: . A Laptop with Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 . Microsoft Azure Subscription (MSDN, BizSpark, Trial, Pay-As-You-Go or Company/Individual Account)

Explore the world of Azure with IoT

Microsoft Office 2013 - Upto 15% off

Today is the last day to register for Microsoft Office 2013 and get discounts of up to 15%. This is valid only for Small and Medium Businesses. Find your cloud partner here.

Microsoft Azure App Service Now available

Microsoft recently announced the Azure App Service which helps developers deliver cross-platform, cloud-connected apps faster. This solution integrates the Microsoft Azure Websites, Mobile Services and Biztalk Services into a single service with a common app hosting, runtime and extensibility model, enabling simplified integration with popular consumer and commercial services and on-premises systems, all for one low price.
Read more here. 

Windows 10 preview build Updates

I must say that when I installed and ran the first publicly available build of windows 10 announced in January this year, I was a little upset with the performance of the system. It ran so many apps and processes in the background that the machine felt sluggish and slow and non-responsive.

You had to keep it running for few minutes after boot before you could start working on it. This was a total turn off. With the recent updates it started running a lot better. No more background CPU hogging processes. Hope the improvements keep on coming.

Google introduces Hindi ad Support

Google recently announced that AdWords now supports Hindi ads across the Google Display Network. From now on you can expect to see more ads in India's most spoken language.

What does this mean?

AdWords advertisers can now build campaigns reaching Hindi language sites on the Google Display Network using text, image, rich media, and video display ad formats.

Read more here.

Performance Improvements in AWS SDK for .NET

Amazon recently released a new version of the AWS SDK for .NET which fixes some issues causing additional intermittent latency.  SDK versions 2.3.x.x and onwards contain the fix for this issue.

Setting up Microsoft DPM for Backing Azure IAAS workload

Microsoft Data Protection Manager now supports backup of Microsoft Azure workloads on Azure platform. Here are some interesting things to note about the supported deployments:

• DPM is supported on any Azure IaaS virtual machine that is size A2 or higher.
• DPM can protect workloads that run across multiple Azure cloud services that have the same Azure virtual network and Azure subscription.
• The number of disks that can be used for the target storage (DPM storage pool) is limited by the size of the virtual machine (maximum of 16). For more information about size limits, see Azure Virtual Machines.